Ice Cream All Day!

I thought I would write a introduction of myself, for any newcomers to our blog.  I am the Nurse at KRMS.  My husband and I, with our three very active children, enjoy all sorts of activities.  You will mostly find us on the sidelines of a soccer or volleyball game, or on the ski slopes. 

Being a school nurse is like being a mom, only to 430 Middle Schoolers!  I am fortunate to have Jen Cahill, my Assistant, helping me.  

It can get rather busy in our office!

- minor bumps and bruises

-concussions

-chronic medical conditions

-the never fun urgent situations.  

Throw in all the other things we need to do to promote health in the school setting, sets us up for a very busy school year!

Recently I was interviewed regarding pubic health.  One question really stuck with me….’what do you think is the most prevalent issue you see in your office on a daily basis’.   Jen and I talked about this, and we see more stress and anxiety lately.  Kids are under so much pressure, whether its school, home, friends, sports, etc....  Kids have more responsibility than what I remember as a child.  What happened to playing outside with friends, creating fun without pressure to be a certain way, or perform to a certain standard.

I am fortunate this year to have an advisory.  Eleven, 8^th grade students meet with me and Mr. Paterson every day.  We share, we laugh, we engage in conversation about school work, responsibilities at home and at school, how to be respectful and resilient.  One of my goals as an adult at KRMS, is to lead by example.  Show these wonderful children, that we all have our faults, we all struggle through things, we are not alone.  We all have things we don’t like about ourselves, or our lives, but finding ways to celebrate is the key!  That we all have varying degrees of stress and anxiety in our lives,  we can’t always control that, but we can control our reaction to the stress and anxiety we face. 

Hearing Lynn Lyons, clinical social worker and psychotherapist, speak at a conference put things into perspective for me.  

Looking at Lynn Lyons Website as a resource, has been very helpful.

I try to share with kids, that I hate to get out of bed sometimes.  That I want to be in my PJs and binge watch TV.  That I too, want to be a gazillionaire, with no need to work, and just shop all day.  Maybe eating Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner would be fun too!  Showing kids that we can have fun things in life, and the not so fun things, still occur, but how we handle them is the key.  Working hard, getting up that ladder to success, what ever that ladder might be, can give a wonderful sense of accomplishment, of achievement that we own for ourselves.  

  Showing by example that we are all human beings, and we are not alone. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction.  For the future, please respond with ideas of topics you would like more information about.  Maybe we can shed some light on a topic for you.

Best,

Ms. Amy